LEADERSHIP CHRONICLES - SPEED DATING PART II - EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE

With everyone from the Ryerson Women's Basketball Team back from a short Christmas break and
some roster moves that will change the team chemistry, I thought it smart to take the team development back to a forming exercise to start the second half of the season.  Today we achieved some new interesting team connection from a round of Speed Dating.

Some of the players have been on the team together for several years.  Through today's Speed Dating activity players still managed to learn some new interesting things about each other.  The standout learning was that one of our players has a deep affinity for fishing.  This is a pass-time that energizes her and that she shares with her dad.

The theme of the Speed Dating session was "What Energizes You" and "What Drains You of Energy".    It's interesting the different "A-Ha" moments that come from working with different groups and teams.  Many of the Ryerson players shared that they get energized by positive events and positive people around them and that their energy is drained by negative events and negative people around them.  One athlete pointed out that the session helped her to connect with the influence her behaviour and energy has on those around her.  

I've attached a short clip below of part of the session.

ASHTON KUTCHERS' - INSIDER SECRETS TO MAKING THINGS TICK

Ashton Kutcher made me a fan when he dropped science during his acceptance speech at the 2013 Teen Choice Awards.  During this Leadership Moment, Ashton offers the "insider secrets to making things tick" to his fans.

Opportunities
Opportunity looks a lot like hard work.

Being Sexy
The sexiest thing in the entire world...is being really smart, thoughtful and generous.  Everything else is crap that people try to sell you to make you feel like crap.

Living Life
Build a life, don't live one.

ASK THE PROFESSOR - I'VE GOT THE POWER!

ASK THE PROFESSOR will be a series of learning outcomes, insights and "A-ha" moments from my journey as a Professor of Advanced Leadership and Organizational Behaviour.

One of the questions on the Mid-Term test was "Name the 5 types of Power.  For full marks provide a brief description of each type."

Power is the ability to influence.  The four types of power are Legitimate, Referent, Expert, Coercive and Reward.

Legitimate Power is the influence I allow you to have over me based on your position (manager, coach, etc)
Referent Power is the influence I allow you to have over me based on how much I like you.  The more I like you, the more I allow you to influence me and visa-versa.
Expert Power is the influence I allow you to have over me based on my belief that you have a relatively high level of knowledge and or expertise in an area or subject matter.
Coercive Power is the influence I allow you to have over me based on your ability to punish, or take something of value away from me.
Reward Power is the influence I allow you to have over me based on you ability to offer something of value to me.

What I find to be the most important aspect of power is that power is given.  Therefore one does not "hold" power, but rather, one is given power.  You do not have influence over me, but rather, I allow you to influence me.  Sort of flips the script on the idea of the Powerful and the Powerless.

Think about it.  I don't have to do as my boss asks.  I chose to do as he/she asks because I chose to cooperate with the hierarchy and corporate culture that exists.  I can also chose not to do as my boss asks absolutely and to different degrees.  There are potential consequences, outcomes and ramifications for each choice, however, it is my choice the influence I allow my boss to have over me (Legitimate Power).

For the athletes reading this post, substitute coach for boss and the previous paragraph applies to you.
Plus, athletes usually allow influence due to the perception of their coach as an expert (Expert Power), and/or on the basis of their coaches ability to punish or take something of value away, like playing time (Coercive Power), OR to offer something of value like playing time or scholarship (Reward Power).


Think of the influence friends have over each other, the term "peer pressure" and the of influence pop
icons like Justin Bieber or Beyonce.  People allow these sources to influence speech, behaviour and values.  This is Referent Power, when I allow you to influence me because I like you.

This relationship between "leader" and "follower" or "influencer" and "influencee" is important for leaders to understand.  The power is actually in the hands of the person allowing themselves to be influenced, they usually just don't see it that way.

WHAT GREAT TEAMMATES DO FOR EACH OTHER

The greatest thing that teammates do for each other is to create a feeling of connection for each other.  They do this by accepting you for you and even spotlighting your unique qualities that benefit the team.  Great teammates create an environment where everyone belongs and feels safe to be themselves.

Ellen Degeneres spotlighted a great display of team behaviour on a recent episode of her show.  Whoever is coaching, mentoring these boys is developing the skills and character qualities great leaders demonstrate.

Watch these two young heroes, Danny and Tommy!

LEADERSHIP CHRONICLES - SPEED DATING

"What do you do?" is a common question asked when people first meet.  This question is asked because it is socially safe and is not too personal.

However, if we really want to get to know someone, a better question would be "What energizes you?" or "What drains you of energy".  The answer to this question provides insight into passions, dreams, sources of happiness, joy and activities and practices that put a person in the zone or in flow.

I facilitated a "Speed Dating" activity to support the forming stage of team development for the North Toronto JUEL Basketball Team.  It was a fun an engaging opportunity for players to get better acquainted.  The activity took about 10 minutes and the returns were great.  Each "Speed Date" was 1 minute long.  Players sat across from a partner; kept eye contact; introduced themselves and each player had 30 seconds to share the things that energize them.  After one minute one line of players would rotate and a new "Speed Date" would start.  Players who had been training together for several months, learned new interesting important information about their teammates.  

This activity honours the "forming" stage of team development by helping to create connection between athletes and encourages athletes to tell something positive, but revealing about themselves.  The load of eye contact was added to challenge players to take the connection further and even demonstrate some trust with their teammates.  

The players really enjoyed the activity and were excited about what they'd learned about each other throughout the process.  They found that they have a lot in common.  They also learned some interesting things about a fellow teammate that peaked curiosity and will encourage players to learn more about each other outside of this activity.

LEADERSHIP CHRONICLES - INTERDEPENDENCE

Excited about my first session with the North Toronto JUEL Basketball team.  This was a forming session aimed at introducing some mindset shifts and doing some forming.

I started the session with a question "What makes you a team?" Team members shared some very good reasons they felt they were a team.  One player hit on a very important aspect that differentiates groups from teams, interdependence.

Below is a list of characteristics that differentiate groups from teams.  As they pertain to performance, I believe the most important is the Individual accountability v. mutual and individual acceptability (accountable to each other).  This last characteristic of teams points to the interdependence that must exist between participants on effective teams.  I must do my job in order for you to do your job.  I must do my job in order for the team to be successful.  The teams success will lead to my personal success.

For example, if communication is an essential part of your job, players must understand that my communication affects the performance of my teammates and the success of the team.  If I don't communicate effectively (or as per the team standard), my teammates will be without the information they need to be successful and the team will not maximize performance.  I have used communication as an example but it applies to all expectations and responsibilities.

If we want players to learn to work together we must teach them the importance of interdependence.  Egoism has trickled down form professional sport and other environments to the grassroots.  While media teaches an exaggerated self-importance, coaches of team sport need to re-educate young athletes on the meaning and importance of interdependence.  

Below I have listed the characteristics that differentiate a group from a team.  Which one are you coaching, a group or a team?  Which one are you playing on, a group or a team?  If you're playing on or coaching a group that you want to be a team what can you do to facilitate a change? 

Group

• Has a designated strong leader

• Individual Accountability

• Identical purpose for group and organization

• Performance goals set by others

• Works within organizational boundaries

• Individual work products

• Organized meetings, delegation

Team

• Shares or rotates leadership roles

• Mutual and individual accountability (accountable to each other)

• Specific team vision or purpose

• Performance goals set by team

• Not inhibited by organizational boundaries

• Collect work products

• Mutual feedback, open-ended discussion, active problem solving